Ciao, tutti!I am blogging from my apartment, back from another fun and eventful weekend!
Yesterday, some friends from my program and I did a day trip to Modena, a town only 20 minutes north of Bologna by train. Modena is mostly famous for four local products: Ferrari, Maserati, opera star Luciano Pavarotti, and balsamic vinegar - the best in the world. Needless to say, it was definitely worth a visit!
We started off our day at the Ferrari museum, where we got a first-hand peek at some of the fastest and most expensive cars in the world.
A 2000 Ferrari SpiderThe museum featured dozens of cars of all different ages, models, and purposes. We also got to take a peek at the engines inside the cars and a glance into the production process.
Next, we stopped at l'Acetaia di Giorgio, a balsamic vinegar producer that has been in the vinegar business since the 1800s. The daughter of the vineyard's owner was our host, and gave us a lesson on the balsamic vinegar making process: we were educated on the different types of wood used to produce balsamic vinegar, and saw the different barrels used for production and aging. Last but not least, we got to taste!
Although most think of balsamic vinegar as a cooking ingredient or salad dressing, this vinegar was in a league of its own. We tasted vinegar aged up to 25 years (older than me!), and our host explained that depending on the age of the vinegar and woods used in the process, they recommend some vinegars as condiments for foods such as pancakes, fruit, and even gelato!
Completely coincidentally, we happened to visit Modena during la Festa di Modena, the day of their annual festival, and thus were able to spend our afternoon strolling though the market and tasting delicacies from the various stalls.
The two Rachels posing with some of the delicious cheese we bought
To see more photos from our day in Modena, check out the web album:
Next, we stopped at l'Acetaia di Giorgio, a balsamic vinegar producer that has been in the vinegar business since the 1800s. The daughter of the vineyard's owner was our host, and gave us a lesson on the balsamic vinegar making process: we were educated on the different types of wood used to produce balsamic vinegar, and saw the different barrels used for production and aging. Last but not least, we got to taste!
Although most think of balsamic vinegar as a cooking ingredient or salad dressing, this vinegar was in a league of its own. We tasted vinegar aged up to 25 years (older than me!), and our host explained that depending on the age of the vinegar and woods used in the process, they recommend some vinegars as condiments for foods such as pancakes, fruit, and even gelato!
Completely coincidentally, we happened to visit Modena during la Festa di Modena, the day of their annual festival, and thus were able to spend our afternoon strolling though the market and tasting delicacies from the various stalls.
The two Rachels posing with some of the delicious cheese we boughtVisiting Modena was definitely one of the coolest and most memorable things I have done since arriving in Italy; although it isn't a huge tourist destination, it was great to explore the region of Emilia-Romagna outside of Bologna and get some insight into some of the most famous and important Italian exports: fast cars and fine cuisine!
To see more photos from our day in Modena, check out the web album:
A presto!
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